It's tough, it's hard, and it's almost impossible to predict - the McDonald's Ballarat FNL competition for Season 2021 just keeps on delivering.
Scoop previews Round Six
Head-to-Head Since 2018 - Lakers 2 - M/South 1
Melton South (6th P4 W2 L2) must overcome an 0/4 record (BFNL win/loss)off the bye in season 2021 when they travel to Lake Wendouree (8th P4 W2 L2) to consolidate a spot in the top six.
The Panthers have won their last two (v Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury) and should be brimming with confidence despite not having won in Ballarat since RD3, 2017. The Lakers on the otherhand will be hoping to replicate some if it's earlier (RD3, RD4) form that saw them take down (now) ladder leaders North Ballarat City and Ballarat. Both sides will look a little different today without any of it's TAC club affiliates as the onus shifts primarily onto the senior bodies to get the job done.
Lake Wendouree had impressed in all of their opening three games before a 'back to earth' home defeat at the hands of league heavyweights Sebastopol last week . Heath Pritchard's Melton South resembles a mirror image for the large part - in all of their games bar it's 69 point loss to Melton in round one. This match is perfectly poised, another tipsters nightmare.
If the game were in the 'East', the market would lean to the Panthers given the significant impact of it's top end talent and the flow on effect it has had on the remainder of the group who now have 40+ games into them despite a tough couple of years. But it's not. The game is set for Wendouree Reserve and the Lakers top end will have a large say in denying the Panthers a rare highway success. Nick Rippon, Ashley Simpson, Jake Lohmann and Callum McKay's influence will be vital as they loom the beneficiaries over a Panthers midfield group without Shaun Wyatt (hamstring), Bradley Olsson (groin-doubtful) and Paul Curtis (Western Jets). A low scoring affair would suit the Lakers winning chances, implying star Panthers forward Dylan Conway was kept in check. Easier said than done.
Head-to-head Since 2018 - Sunbury 2 - Ballarat 1
If last week's loss to third straight loss wasn't a crunch game for Sunbury (P5 W1 L4) then their round six meeting with Ballarat (9th P5 W2 L3) at the Clarke Oval most certainly is. The Lions are perilously close to losing touch with the top six already, much to the surprise of the broader BFNL.
That will have to do it without Alik Magin for another week as the host an improving Swans outfit aiming to win it's first ever game away to Sunbury. While the record is unenviable you must respect the Swans form heading into the clash with two wins on the board and two narrow defeats from their opening five. The Swans will be without Andrew Hooper and marquee signing Josh Gibson for another week while Buninyong recruit key forward Jake Dunne's 2021 campaign is again stalled after suffering a recurring hamstring injury against Darley last week.
Sunbury coach Travis Hodgson offered no excuses in the aftermath of their 47 point loss to North Ballarat rather conceding his boys 'tried hard' but were no match for MaCartney's men. Swans coach Joe Carmody on the otherhand has every reason to be excited about his prospects today, facing Sunbury in a slump, undermanned and a shadow of their potential. Bigmen Marcus Powling and Bailey Van de Heuvel (pending Footscray VFL) pose the necessary threat in the air for Sunbury today while Sam James and Daniel Kennedy through the midfield enjoy solid starts to their seasons. For Sunbury, more will be asked of Josh Guthrie to stamp his 200 VFL game career on this game while you know what you're going to get from Daniel Toman, Tyson Lever and the Goater boys.
It's a 'throw at the stumps' game for the Swans, it's miles from a be all, end all result result but for Sunbury, it couldn't be any closer to the truth.
Head-to-head Since 2018 - Melton 4 - Redan 0
Redan (7th P4 W2 L2) fans will be hoping last weeks abissmal performance that yielded just one goal against Bacchus Marsh was merely an abboration when they take to the highway before a meeting with Melton (2nd P5 W4 L1) at MacPherson Park.
In fairness the Lions missed goal pressure forwards Dean Chester and Izaac Grant while the leg speed of Alex Harvey was sorely missed. All are expected to return today but remain without key ruckman Orron Stephenson (1-2 weeks) and captain Liam Hoy (achilles-season). So, can the Lions turnaround their effort in a week to upset Melton who sit comfortably in second place on the table with four wins and a loss? At least Redan will be buoyed by the fact the Bloods have proven they're beatable, falling at the hands of East Point to the tune of 41 points last week. They did had their excuses, no-one will deny them that, but I expect them to atone and consolidate their top two placing.
X factor Melton forwards Braedyn Kight and Kevin Klixx will be a nightmare to contain after the Lions had four of their own go down last week namely Jarrett Giampaolo (7 stitches knee), Nick Barker (cork), Keenan Waterbury and Brandon Green both to hamstrings. Finding the right match ups to minimise the Bloods scoring power (including the Carter bros) will be the recipe for an unlikely result.
I'm not sure on the 100% fitness of Lions gun mid Lachie George but his time and influence while in the middle will worry the Bloods while young gun Cooper Craig-Peters continues to impress.
Finally on Melton, they're younger than you think - 6 players with 6 games or less suggests they're a chance to be exposed from time to time. Just not this week.
Head-to-head Since 2018 - Darley 0 - Sebastopol 2
It's hard to comprehend Darley (11th P4 W0 L4) has not hosted Sebastopol (4th P4 W2 L2) since round nine, 2015. While the Devils saluted by 192 points on that particular day you can write your own ticket witnessing any resemblance this afternoon.
Unlike 2015, the Devils are in a clear development phase having already had 35 players take the field in their opening four games. Even at full strength the Devils were expected to struggle this year with a focus on developing it's youth with one eye on the future.
And the results, all be them winless, have been encouraging with the next generation showing glimpses of what to expect with another 30-40 games into growing bodies. The journey hasn't been made easy by injury to key personnel, all of whom are likely to miss again. Captain Shane Page, Luther Baker, Leigh Spiteri, Dan Roy and Jake Edwards head a host of up to eight or nine players on the sidelines. Unfortunately the absence of such experience on game day doesn't help the fast-tracking of the youngsters who face arguably their tough test to date.
Sebastopol (Richards, T.Hutt, Powell esp) will dwarf the Devils today and what that amounts to on the scoreboard, nobody really knows. Can the young Devils find a way to combat the 'Burras superiority in that area by exposing them in others ? That is the question, albeit extremely doubtful. Burra's coach Michael Searle will be happy just to bank a third win away from home and build on some solid form from their win over the Lakers in round five. For Darley, coach Dan Roy will be counting on a buy-in from right across the board today, onfield and off as a polite reminder to their more fancied rivals, just who and where they've come to play.
Head-to-head Since 2018 - East Point 4 - NBC 1
Reigning dual Premiers East Point (5th P5 W3 L2) host 'new kids on the block' North Ballarat City (1st P5 W4 L1)in the game of the round. Mark my words, this encounter will be the best example of a footy audit for both clubs seen so far this season. Patchy East Point returned to something more like their best last week with a convincing win over a vulnerable Melton while North Ballarat spared little respect for for an out of sorts Sunbury on the road to win by 47.
Today looms a line in the sand game, moreso for MaCartney's NBC given Jake Bridges' Kangas have nothing to prove as the current two time champs. NBC were beaten around the ball by Lake Wendouree
in round three but have corrected since accounting for flag challengers Sebastopol and of course Sunbury. They'll need to be good at the coal face again today. Denying Matty Johnston, Mickitja Rottumah-Onus and Joseph Dodd their share of the ball won't be any easy task but if successfull, City's forward options are plentiful albeit six rounds in. On the flipside, if the Kangas star mids have their way, they're not short of options forward either - Whittaker, McDougall, Lukich, Brown, along with the Ganley brothers can comfortably kick a winning score to have NBC on the backfoot.
You can theorise on match-ups, probability and outcomes as much as you like in the lead up to this one but the result is more likely to be a reflect on the TEAM that turn.
